The Lightning Men and the Eagle

by Abe Jangala, Lajamanu, 1984

translated from Warlpiri with Barbara Gibson Nakamarra (1984, 1995) and edited for the CD-ROM Dream trackers (UNESCO, 2000) by Barbara Glowczewski

In Pirrpirrdi, Thompson Rockhole, lived a Jangala. He talked to the Lightning Men, who after hearing his voice had their legs cut. Jangala went to Yardukamanpa followed by the Lightning Men who were very angry and tried to spear him. Jangala went back to hide in his home. Two Nungarryi, his wives, tried to block the way to the agressors without success. Jangala was speared all over his body. His body turned into a rock and still shows the marks from the lightning spears. The Lighning Men continued their journey throwing lightning in Mungunyu.

Kirrkirlanji, the Whistling Eagle, landed in my country carrying the Warnayarra Rainbow Snake on his head. The Snake fell. And the rain flooded my country Munkularri.

My fathers built shelters to protect themselves and they hit a goanna with an axe to eat it. At Wanimpirji, Warnayarra Snake went underground. Eagle saw him, caught him and rolled him again in the sky to take him further. The Snake fell in Papinya, his tail spread there, but the rest of his body followed his nose underground up to Manjapantu.

In Jiikangu the Rain people put a tree in the ground to make rain. It rained and the men left again. Eagle took the Snake on his head and flew away. At Nganirrirri, with the Snake's power, he made a big swamp and travelled further. The Rain people followed his track and had a rest at the new swamp.

At Winpirti, when the Water Dreaming fell, the men made mirta shields. They were angry against the Puurda Yam and Jungunypa Rat. The rats were giants then, but they became small like today after the lightning struck them in Kinimpa. The Rain people travelled with their karpardi rain-making tree. At Walupalpa they erected it again and more trees came out of the ground. They left marnikiji conkerberry trees all along their way, right up to Nguyupurangu, Ian Jangala's country.

2. The bushfire at Kulpulunu and Wingki

The Water Dreaming lay on the sand and from the sand dunes he made cloud children who went up into the sky, as far as Kulpulunu where they made a big camp, a swamp. Kulpulunu is the most sacred place. Women cannot come close today, but Ancestral Women used to live there.

Deep in the Kulpulunu cave, the Old Man's voice said to his daughters to lightt firesticks and to his sons to kneel, knees against knees, elbows against elbows, head down around the swamp to stop a gigantic bushfire. They covered their bodies with watarurru bushes and jakurjakurta vines and pushed the fire away. The sisters became the marrarnki nut trees. One is still standing there today.The prints from the brothers' knees can be seen all around the swamp. My people saved the fresh water.

Not far from there the Wingki waterhole, which was formed by a cloud, was burnt and became salty. It still sits there like a hill and belongs to Jakamarra and Jupurrurla people. This bushfire came from two men from the Walmajarri tribe who were tracking a kanyarla kangaroo. At Rrapunga they cut themselves a jimanypa firesaw from a tree. Some tree dust flew away. And later they saw a big shade on top of their heads, it was the smoke from the dust that caught fire. The two men ran to the East. At Tapu, they cut some burning grass and split up, each one carrying the fire, one to Yiriwawurru, Jangala and Jampijinpa country in the North, the other to Malungurru, Jupurrurla and Jakamarra country in the South.

3. Kamira and Jiwaranypa 

The Rain Dreaming produced a flood right up to Kamira and Milwayi. All along the road, the rocky hills were its cloud children. Further to the west in Jiwaranypa and Ngintiwalkarri, Warnayarra fell too, creating a huge lake. There the Water Dreaming turned into the Frog Dreaming.

At the Kamira rockhole the blind Ancestor's voice talked and the thunder fell. Then in Kurungkali, Christmas Creek in Western Australia, the Warnayarra Snake threw lightning, the Dingo and Yam Dreamings answered by throwing lightning too. New marrarnki nut trees came out of the ground. The Water Dreaming went up the sky and fell in the heart of our country, Tanami (Two Men and Budgerigar Dreamings), where he made manja acacias grow. 

Another Rain dreaming trail left Kulpulunu to go up north to Jinalku, near Kurlungalinpa. It continued on to the territory of the Kurintji tribe where the Wangarla Crow people cawed singing out for water. So the Rain Dreaming stopped to make the Kuratja swamp, King Bore. They came out of the ground further to the west, at Timber Creek, where they turned into the Barramundi Fish Dreaming.

Walatarri country we call 'big brother', because the Rain man from there was the elder brother of the man from Kulpulunu and a third younger brother from Lungkardajarra. He came out of Lutu, country of the Marsupial Rat Dreaming who fought with the Lightning men. In Walatarri the Rain Dreaming whirled and twirled like a big spiral that went underground. The custodians of this country dance this story men and women together turning round like a big snake.